I have a sub-panel for my hot tub that was installed by an electrician. The hot tub requires 220. I installed a 15A breaker in the sub-panel.

I can flip the 15A breaker on without tripping the breaker for the hot tub, but as soon as I draw power from the outlet connected to the 15A breaker (just a lamp) the hot tub breaker trips. The 15A breaker stays on. At the time, the hot tub is just idle (powered up, but no jets running).

Aside from the being in the same sub-panel, the only thing common between the breakers is the ground wire, where I tied the 15A ground into the main ground coming into the sub-panel.

Appreciate any ideas.

Julius793

03-09-2012 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by armisjam

I have a sub-panel for my hot tub that was installed by an electrician. The hot tub requires 220. I installed a 15A breaker in the sub-panel.

I can flip the 15A breaker on without tripping the breaker for the hot tub, but as soon as I draw power from the outlet connected to the 15A breaker (just a lamp) the hot tub breaker trips. The 15A breaker stays on. At the time, the hot tub is just idle (powered up, but no jets running).

Aside from the being in the same sub-panel, the only thing common between the breakers is the ground wire, where I tied the 15A ground into the main ground coming into the sub-panel.

Appreciate any ideas.

Is the hot tub breaker a gfi? And can we get a picture or model number of the panel.

HouseHelper

03-09-2012 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by armisjam
(Post 874139)

I have a sub-panel for my hot tub that was installed by an electrician. The hot tub requires 220. I installed a 15A breaker in the sub-panel.

I can flip the 15A breaker on without tripping the breaker for the hot tub, but as soon as I draw power from the outlet connected to the 15A breaker (just a lamp) the hot tub breaker trips. The 15A breaker stays on. At the time, the hot tub is just idle (powered up, but no jets running).

Aside from the being in the same sub-panel, the only thing common between the breakers is the ground wire, where I tied the 15A ground into the main ground coming into the sub-panel.

Appreciate any ideas.

If the tub breaker is GFCI, then you have a shared neutral with the tub on the 15A circuit.

cgoll

03-09-2012 03:11 PM

Which might indicate that the neutral and ground are not separate in that subpanel.

armisjam

03-09-2012 05:17 PM

1 Attachment(s)

The hot tub breaker is GFCI. The 15A breaker is using the neutral bar in the sub-panel, which I presume from the comments is incorrect. The neutral and ground are separate in that both ground wires are tied into the ground coming from the main.

Not clear on what needs to change based on the hot tub breaker being GFCI. Thank you.

Techy

03-09-2012 05:20 PM

Looks like incoming neutral goes straight to the breaker, it needs to hit the neutral bar first.

dmxtothemax

03-09-2012 05:42 PM

If it is a GFCI that is tripping out,
that could mean some of the current is returning
via the ground line rather then the neutral line.
This imbalance would trip out the GFCI.
You need to check your neutral lines !

armisjam

03-09-2012 05:42 PM

Techy - That was done by the electrician. The incoming neutral does go straight to the breaker. The thick neutral you see coming into the bar is part of the breaker.

Are the two just supposed to be tied together at the neutral bar? (Clearly I'm DIY, so get nervous changing what the electrician has done.)

dmxtothemax

03-09-2012 06:08 PM

Its looks like they are tyed together (in the pic)
The white goes to breaker first then another white
goes to the neutral bar !

zappa

03-09-2012 06:15 PM

deleted

Techy

03-09-2012 06:21 PM

is the center terminal marked load neutral or line neutral?

if load neutral the neutral on that terminal needa to go to the bar, along with the other neutral(both on the bar), then your problem should be solved. it appears the Load is straight 240 so the neutral is only for the gfi electronics

zappa

03-09-2012 07:11 PM

deleted

frenchelectrican

03-09-2012 09:43 PM

I look at it and is the conduit on the back right is supply to the breaker box if so the netural is on backwards it should landed to the netural first then take the netural from line side of GFCI breaker ( if striaght 240 volts sans neutral ) then it is correct but the way it hook up it is on backward that why it trip every time you turn something on 15 amp circuit.

The issue is unbalanced neutral reading thru the GFCI breaker.

Have that electrician come back and deal with it if they still honour the warranty.

And you can NOT float the ground et netural in the panel like that that is a major no-no.